CeBIT 2007, 15 to 21 March Highlights from the 'Communications' section

Successful fleet management requires effective evaluation of all data. One exhibitor at CeBIT 2007 is offering a solution that uses 'contact-free' CAN bus technology to collect and store all this data without intervening in the vehicle's electronics system.

The solution can collect hundreds of different kinds of data, including details about distances, energy consumption, speed, acceleration, and even information about maintenance and servicing. The data volume is transferred to a server for evaluation via an RS-232 connection or by GSM. The evaluation result can be called up when required or the server automatically issues an alert when a defined threshold value has been exceeded. The data can also be stored on a USB stick.

Nomadic Solutions, 56 rue Eugene Delarque, FR-77190 Dammarie les Lys

Hall 11, Stand G38 www.nomadicsolutions.biz

New software is helping companies cut the costs of mobile telephony. This solution allows any mobile phone to be incorporated into the company's phone system as an extension. Not only does this minimize costs but also means employees can be reached under the same business number even when they are on the move.

According to the manufacturer, who will be exhibiting the software at CeBIT 2007, the solution will enable office calls to be made on mobile, fixed-line or IP phones. It also provides all the convenient functions of a phone system on a mobile phone. Voice messages are stored in a single voice mailbox and can be accessed on the user's PC. What is more, any employee can use a personal telephone conference room, which enables home offices to be hooked up quickly and easily.

SPEECH DESIGN GmbH, Industriestrasse 1, D-82110 Germering

Hall 25, Stand D40 (D104) www.speech-design.de

A tiny device fitted to steering wheels is helping to make driving safer. It contains a fully-fledged Bluetooth hands-free device with an integrated display and a battery, speaker, and microphone. It also includes a phone book for 300 entries and an FM transmitter that can be used to play back telephone calls and MP3 files from A2DP-enabled terminal equipment on the car's speaker system.

The device is controlled using ergonomically positioned control elements, which means there is no need for users to take their hands off the steering wheel while driving. The Bluetooth hands-free device is being presented for the first time at CeBIT 2007 and will be available at the end of the second quarter.

Seecode Germany GmbH, Rösrather Strasse 333, D-51107 Cologne

Hall 25, Stand H37 www.seecode.de

The ultimate quality control for triple-play services - a high performance software tool used for recording and evaluation at Ethernet ports, which has been optimized specifically for measuring triple-play services, is being unveiled for the first time at CeBIT 2007. The tool comes with many extra functions, such as connection lists, a program overview, and recording of quality characteristics.

Among other things, these functions provide quick readings of the quality of the recorded VoIP connections, IPTV programs, and other applications. The VoIP test suite is currently being enhanced through the addition of a new feature-quality evaluation of IPTV transmissions. This turns the suite into a measurement tool for troubleshooting, controlling and monitoring triple-play services.

ITD Informationstechnologie GmbH & Co. KG, Kanzleistrasse 91-93, D-24943 Flensburg

Hall 13, Stand B59 www.trafficlyser.de

Companies with branches around the world can now slash their telephone costs using a server-based Voice-over-IP solution. The program lets them use their central telephone system to make internal calls anywhere in the world. The system is completely browser-based and can therefore be used on the user's workstation without the need to install additional software.

The integration of a macro editor allows administrators to make adjustments directly in the program for managing incoming and outgoing calls. What's more, the user simply has to click the mouse to dial phone numbers on websites or use the integrated softphone to make calls on any Internet-enabled computer in the world.

The LDAP interface can be used to incorporate external address books. Callers are identified immediately and their names and phone numbers displayed. An added advantage for callers is that they can reach people on their office numbers even when those people are not in the office, thanks to the integration of internal GSM gateways that can be set up with flat-rate tariffs.

vertico software GmbH, Kriegsstrasse 236, D-76135 Karlsruhe

Hall 13, Stand B44 www.vertico-software.com

New concepts for VIA Technologies' embedded products - one exhibitor at CeBIT 2007 will be presenting cutting-edge solutions based on the recently unveiled VIA pc2500 platform. This platform comes with a VIA C7-D processor 1.5 GHz in the Nano BGA2 package and the VIA CN700 Advanced Digital Media Chipset. It is connected using a high-speed 400 MHz V4 bus. The platform supports DDR-2 storage of up to 2 GB and in addition to the VIA Padlock Security Co-Processor it also provides VIA Unichrome Pro IGP graphics with hardware-accelerated MPEG2 decoding.

When idle, the VIA C7-D CPU has a very low power consumption of only 500 milliwatts and an economical 20 watts when used at full capacity. This solution has a wide range of potential applications, e.g. in the broad field of network appliances, where it could be used as a till system, kiosk, media center or for digital signatures. The manufacturer can also create other bespoke solutions to meet project-specific customer requirements.

The company emphasizes that the platform concept was specifically and primarily developed for companies with a tight budget who wish to use embedded technologies in cost-sensitive projects but can only afford to pay the price of desktop technology.

Tragant Handels- und Beteiligungs GmbH, Beeskowdamm 13-15, D-14167 Berlin

Hall 25, Stand H63 www.tragant.de

A compact mini mainboard will be premiered at CeBIT 2007. The Formfaktor Pico-ITX board, which measures only 10 x 7.2 cm, opens up new possibilities for multimedia applications. And in addition to being compact, it also saves power.

The boards come with two independent digital video outputs, which make them ideal for multimedia applications, including in-car computing or digital signage.

Tragant Handels- und Beteiligungs GmbH, Beeskowdamm 13-15, D-14167 Berlin

Hall 25, Stand H63 www.tragant.de

T-Com is adding a new download portal, Softwareload, to its range of Internet services. The provider will be presenting this new product from its loading series at CeBIT 2007. The service provides a wide range of the latest software programs for downloading, from full versions to free- and shareware. Novices and pros will be able to choose from more than 17,000 titles at www.softwareload.de and a range of different services will help users find what they are looking for.

Visitors registering at Softwareload will receive a free download guarantee and be able to download a personal backup copy of their software as often as they require for two years, just in case a file is damaged.

Deutsche Telekom AG, T-Com, T-Online-Allee 1, D-64295 Darmstadt

Hall 26, Stand A01 www.softwareload.de

DVI (Digital Visual Interface) is almost standard in workstation computers, but the solution is also being used increasingly in other fields. Now it is set to be used more widely in radio stations, studio engineering applications, and digital signage, for example. One manufacturer will be presenting suitable solutions for lengthening and switching this computer signal at CeBIT 2007.

DVI vision is one of the KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) extenders and lengthens digital video, keyboard, mouse, transparent USB, RS232, and audio using a CAT-x cable of up to 140 meters in length. When a computer is hooked up, it can be used locally or remotely on two workstations. A second solution, the DVI-Mux, enables several computers with DVI- and VGA-video to be used from a single workstation and is therefore ideal for use in mixed-signal environments such as radio stations or control rooms.

Guntermann & Drunck GmbH, Dortmunder Strasse 4a, D-57234 Wilnsdorf

Hall 14, Stand G11 www.gdsys.de   

When you want to find out more about beautiful scenery and striking architecture on your travels, you have to consult your travel guide. Or alternatively, use the Merian Scout Navigator, which is being presented for the first time at CeBIT 2007. The new electronic travel guide is a portable Personal Travel Assistant (PTA). It combines multimedia travel guide information and audio reports for tourists using interactive technology and provides the traditional functions of a handy navigation device.

Users can call up the Merian travel guide content that they require in the form of written and spoken messages and images and then let the device navigate them to their chosen travel destination. According to the manufacturer's specification, the product's highlights include 30 hours of professionally presented audio reports on tourist attractions in Germany using a GPS-based playback function, detailed travel information with pictures from Merian and 'Der Feinschmecker', and preinstalled maps of Europe with a built-in traffic-jam warning system.

iPUBLISH GmbH, Berg-am-Laim-Strasse 47, D-81673 München

Hall 11, Stand D25 www.ipublish.de

- Deutsche Messe, Hannover -

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